Flexible closure



w. A. DE HART FLEXIBLE cLosURIsA Filed Dec. 5. 1923 May 25 1926.

Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. HART, 0F TEANECK, NEW JERSEY, vASSIG'NOIlt, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO EDWARD H. PENNSYLVANIA.

BINNS AND RALPH H. BINNS, BOTH OF PITTSBURGH,

FLEXIBLE CLOSURE.

Application ledl December 5, 1923. Serial No. 678,668.

The present invention relates to improvements in flexible closures of the type having two fiexible strips or stringers carrying interlocking fastening devices, which are op' erated by a sliding cam device.

1n this type of closure the interlocking fastening devices are mounted upon flexible strips or stringers, which are formed with beaded inner edges. The beaded or thickened edges are now commonly made by sewing cords to the edge of the flexible tape.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce an improved iiexible Stringer or tape'member and to this end the strip or tape of flexible material is folded back and forth upon itself to form a bead or thickened edge solely of the strip material. The fastening devices usually made with compressible U-shaped jaws embrace the thickcned edge of the strip and are compressed thereon in the usual manner.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a detail elevation of a flexible closure embodying the improved iexible stringere;

Figs. 2 to 11 are detail views illustrating the steps in producing the improved beaded flexible Stringer or strip. Fig. 11 is a detail section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. l.

n this type of closure it is well understood that `two flexible stringers having suitable interlocking fastening devices are secured to the adjacent edgesof any article, so as to present the fastening members in operative relation.

In Fig. 1, 10, 10 are the flexible Stringer members formed with the beaded inner edges 5 upon which are clamped U-shaped jaws of the interlocking fastening devices 6 act-ul ated b any suitable slider shown at 7.

1n orming the improved flexible Stringer or tape a wide stri of fabric or other suitable fiexible material shown at 10 in Figs. 2 and 3 is first folded longitudinally at l1 as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. This fold 11 is then pressed or creased by ironing or other suitable pressing means as shown at 12 in having U-shaped Figs. 6 and 7. The two leaves or plies of the once folded strip are then reversely folded upon linesindicated at 13, 13 in Fig. 9. The folds 11, 13, 13 are in zigzag form, fold 11 being presented inwardly between the two leaves or plies of the fabric and since the three folds are arranged close together there will be four thicknesses of the material presented at the folded edge to constitute a bead 0r thickened portion.

After the folds 13, 13 are made the fabric is again ironedor pressed to produce the form shown in Fig. 10 and the U-shaped jaws of the fastening devices 6 are then clamped upon the bead or thickened edge of the flexible strip in the usual manner.

The impro-ved iexible stringels carrying spaced fastening devices are produced by performing the several steps illustrated in Figures 2 to 11 of the drawings as above explained, each of said figures illustrating a stage in the method of forming the string- 'ers, The stringersmay be formed by hand operations, but are more uniformly and economically produced by automatic machinery which shapes the tape and fastens the fastening devices upon the integral thickened bead.

lt claim:

1. A Stringer for flexible closures or fasteners comprlsing a strip of flexible material folded back and forth upon itself to form a fastener-retaining beaded or thickened edge of more than double thickness of said material, in combination with fastening members formed with U-shaped jaws embracing and clamped upon the said bead'or thickened edge. y

2. A Stringer for exible closures or fasteners comprising a strip of flexible material folded longitudinally back and forth upon itself to form a beaded or thickened edge solely of the flexible material and more than double thickness, and fastening members jaws embracing and clamped upon said beaded or thickened edge.

3. A Stringer for exible closures or fasteners comprisin a strip of flexible material doubled longitu nally upon itself with zigzag folds-to form e fastener-retaining beaded or thickened edge, in combination With fastening members having U-shaped jaws embracing and clamped upon said beaded or 6 thickened edge.

l. A` Stringer for iexible closures or tasteners con'iprising e strip of flexible material longitudinally folded beck and forth in its central zone to form a two-ply strip with n four-Ply beaded or thickened edge, in combinetion with fastening members having lllslmped jews embracing end clamped upon said bedded oi thickened edge.

WlLLlAM A. DE HART. 

